It has heretofore been proposed, as evidenced by prior U.S. Pats. No. 2,690,240 and 3,433,332, to provide a hoist with a modified Weston type brake, which employs an axially aligned ratchet pawl or plate and ratchet wheel, wherein spring bias is employed to normally bias the ratchet pawl towards and into operative or locking engagement with the ratchet wheel, while allowing axially retrograde movements of the ratchet pawl accommodating for ratcheting rotations of the ratchet pawl accommodating for ratcheting rotations of the ratchet wheel incident to load lifting rotations of a hoist hand wheel.